The Light of Secrets
by Miraluna
Summary: In her deep slumber of 8 years, Lightning awakes to a completely different world. Life has completely changed, and Lightning feels out of place. However, everyone has a secret they are hiding. Just what are they hiding from her...?
1. Chapter 1

Two years had passed since the crystallization of Cocoon and the group had settled down on Gran Pulse. Everyone had their own part to do here; Lightning worked with security, Serah became a teacher, Snow made sure that everything was in order, and Hope was already a scientist at sixteen years old.

" Light, I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"What is it, Hope?"

"Well, I kinda need help lifting this object."

"Object?" Lightning questioned as her eyebrow raised up, "...Alright, I'll help."

"Thanks." Hope smiled.

They headed towards the lab where stands a large object that Lightning couldn't identify.

"What is that?" Lightning asked.

"We haven't given it a name yet, but inside the object, time stops for a period."

"...Right."

Chatter filled the hallway as the other scientists came back from wherever they came from. They walked in, ignoring Hope and Lightning, and continued to do their work.

"They won't help?" Lightning snarled.

"No," Hope chuckled, "The rookie has to do most of the physical labor."

The other scientists glared at Hope, then resumed their work. Hope led Lightning to the lab across the hall, and one scientist came to tell them where to put the large object.

"Do you want it here?" Hope asked.

"Perfect." The scientist replied.

Hope and Lightning then gently placed the object on the floor and took a break. Hope sat down, "Hold on, I need to take a little rest." he said, panting.

"It seems like I need to toughen you up again." Lightning smiled as she crossed her arms.

"Haha, yeah." Hope chuckled. "So when are you going to tell me your real name?"

"Once you're older than me," she grinned.

"That'll never happen!"

Suddenly, the object opened, making Lightning flinch. Hope let out a little laugh, but quieted down after Lightning glared at him. She walked towards the object in awe.

"Amazing what technology can do today," Lightning said.

"Yeah, but we still need to test it out. We don't even know how long it would take for the time to stop," the boy explained.

One by one, a scientist would each walk into the room to look at the object saying the same thing, 'beautiful'.

"Let me see the remote," one scientist said. "No!" another said. In moments, a major fight broke out over the remote. All scientists except for Hope were pushing and shoving and yelling at each other.

"What a bunch of kids." Lightning snarled.

All of a sudden, Lightning was pushed into the object. The object was sealed shut with no way of getting out. The fight stopped and the scientists were panicking. They didn't know what to do.

"Hope! Hope! What's going on...?!" Lightning yelled as she banged her hands on the glass.

Hope rushed to the object, not knowing what to do. His eyes widened and slowly, he started panicking.

"Hold on, Light! We'll get you out of there!" Hope yelled.

He tried to pry open the glass door but it wouldn't work, the durable glass was sealed shut. It was too strong, the glass was made sure not to break. There was no time left, the time would stop in seconds, but he couldn't do anything.

"What is...happening...?" Lightning's words died down as she was going into a deep slumber. It was too late.

* * *

8 years had passed since Lighting was in her slumber, and each year Hope would visit, hoping that she'd be out.

"Today is the eighth year you've been in there, Light. Maybe eight is the magic number." Hope chuckled.

As Hope walked out, unexpectedly, the glass door became unsealed. With widened eyes, Hope ran to the object almost tripping. The door slowly opened and Hope started to tear up. Lightning's eyes gently opened, waking up with Hope's tears on her face.

"Am I awake...?" Lightning asked.

Unable to answer, he nodded.

"I think I said this before, but I must have hit my head on that purge train," Lightning smiled. "Stop crying, I'm back."

Hope smiled, "Welcome back."

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"Eight years..."

Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened, she froze.

"Eight years? So, now...you're twenty-four? And everyone else is eight years older? What am I supposed to do?!" Lightning freaked out.

"Calm down, Light. How about we see your sister again?"

"Right..."

On their way to Serah's, Lightning wanted to see her but at the same time she didn't. After eight years, she was curious to see how her little sister ended up, but she was still afraid to face her. They made it to the house, but Serah unexpectedly waited at the entrance.

"Hope, you told her?"

"Of course, after eight years, you're finally back. Why wouldn't I tell her?"

Serah ran towards Lightning giving her a big hug. Her tears were soaking Lightning's shoulder.

"Hope was right, you truly didn't age, but now I'm older than you!" Serah laughed.

"Yeah, but I'm still taller than you." Lightning said as she poked Serah's forehead.

"Come on! You have to meet Sky!"

"Sky?"

"Your nephew!"

Lightning froze up. Serah had to drag her inside. She met a little boy who gets his looks from his mother and luckily, doesn't have a personality like his father.

"Hope, could you show Lightning around?"

"Sure. Let's go, Light!"

"A-alright."

Hope and Lightning wandered around talking about the things that changed.

"So, now you're the director? Congrats." Lightning smiled.

"Thanks." Hope chuckled.

Lightning noticed how much different how looked. He's much taller and he became much more handsome. Before she realized it, she was staring at his face for a long time. Hope noticed and then started blushing.

"I-Is there something on my face?" Hope asked.

"What?" Lightning finally realized she was staring at him, "It's just that you miss eight years and it's a completely new world."

"Right? I don't look like I was eight years ago."

"Yeah, I could barely tell it was you."

"Hey, I prepared something for you, for when you woke up. Do you want to check it out?"

"Sure." Lightning smiled.

Lightning and Hope headed to the special event Hope had prepared, but something was off. Not one word was spoken. With eyes of amazement, Lightning walked into a display similar to the fireworks that were at the place now called New Bodhum. Hope took her hand as they both extended their fingers into the scene. Lightning flinched as Hope chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's just a hologram."

"Ummm... Hope, your hand..."

Realizing his hand was holding hers, he immediately let go, redness forming on his cheeks. Lightning's cheeks also turned a rosy pink.

"So it's just a hologram? Amazing..." Lightning said.

"So... Now that I'm twenty-four... And you're twenty-three... Can't you tell me what's your real name?" Hope asked.

Before Lightning could answer, Serah barged in.

"Lightning! I have a surprise for you! Come on Hope, you come too!"

They headed to Serah's place where stood snow and sky.

"Sorry, Sazh couldn't make it. He's traveling gran pulse with Dajh." Serah said.

"Hey, sis!" Snow yelled.

"I'm not your sister." Lightning replied.

"Now you are! You're the one who married us!" Snow laughed.

"Wha-"

"Now, now... Let's go inside, we have so much to catch up on." Serah interrupted.

Lightning stood next to Hope and asked, "what does he mean when he said I married them...?"

All Hope could do was give a nervous laugh. "I'll tell you about it later..." Hope replied.

Serah had prepared a huge feast for the awakening of her sister. A smile was on Serah's face the entire night. Sky was in bed and Serah and Lightning were doing the dishes.

"Hey Lightning, being in that capsule... Was it just like being in crystal stasis? Like when we completed our focus?" Serah asked.

Lightning paused. She thought about it for a moment and continued doing the dishes.

"...No, it was much worse... In our crystal state, I knew I wasn't alone. But this time, it was different... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I even missed hearing snow's loud mouth," Lightning smirked. "I was dreaming for almost a decade, but it felt like centuries. My memories kept rewinding in my head, constantly repeating over and over. Until one day, the capsule opened and I could finally open my eyes. I couldn't believe it, but the boy I once knew had turned a man. He was right in front of me, crying."

"Hope actually cried?" Serah asked in shock.

"Yeah," Lightning smiled. "When I woke up from my dream, I was somewhat relieved that I woke up seeing someone I knew."

"And that someone was Hope, right? You know, I think Hope has a few things to say, right Hope?"

"What?" Lightning turned around, just to see Hope hiding behind the column.

"Ahah, it seems like I got caught..." Hope awkwardly laughed.

-end Chapter 1-

* * *

("Hope" you enjoyed the first chapter *wink wonk* *gets run over by a car* I'll try to post within a month or so, but here are some **bloopers** **and brain fart scenes**)

*knock knock*  
"Lightning! Come quick!" Serah frantically yelled.

"What happened?!"

"Snow's foot got stuck in a jar!"

"So you're telling me that you two had your wedding without me?" Lightning sassed.

"Sis, that's not exactly true. In a sense, you were actually there" Serah said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... We had your capsule moved to our wedding hall and you kind of married us..."

"Kind of? What do you mean kind of?"

[The wedding day]

"You may now kiss the bride", a a high-pitched voice came from behind the capsule. It was Hope.

thanks for reading, please fav + review! ^^ -Luna


	2. Chapter 2

"Ahah, it seems like I got caught..." Hope awkwardly laughed.

"Well it seems like you two have something to talk about, so I'll be in my room." Serah smiled.

Serah left the room and it sounded like she was giggling. Silence filled the room, not one word was spoken. Lightning gazed at Hope.

"How much of our conversation did you listen to?" Lightning questioned.

"All of it... I guess you were expecting to see someone else when you woke up."

"It's not like that," Lightning sighed. "What I meant was, being in that capsule felt like centuries, I thought I would be in a different time period."

"Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Well-"

Serah barged in once again.

"Sis, I forgot to tell you, but we're renovating your room, so you can stay with Hope for a while! Goodnight!"

Before Lightning could say anything, Serah dashed out of the room.

"...It seems like we have no choice." Lightning sighed.

"But wait...! Shouldn't you be against this?!" Hope panicked.

"Why should I? Complaining won't solve anything."

"Yeah, but..."

"You don't want me to come over...?"

"N-No, it's not like that!"

"Right..."

"No...! I'm serious! Anyways let's go before its midnight."

"Why midnight?"

"Midnight is the time when the monsters on Gran Pulse are the most aggressive."

"Well... Lead the way, Mr. Hope Estheim."

"Ok..."

* * *

"Are you alright, Hope? You were stiff the entire time..."

"N-No I'm fine. Don't worry, ok?"

Lightning raised her eyebrow. She then placed her hand on Hope's forehead. Hope flinched as his face was getting warmer by the second.

"W-What are you doing?" Hope asked.

"Just wondering if you're sick. You've been acting weird since we left from Serah's. Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yeah, let's just go inside."

Hope opened the doors and saw that there was luggage in the living room.

"Light, does this belong to you?"

Lightning walked over to the bags and looked inside. She turned to Hope with a confused look.

"Yeah, but why is my stuff here? Do you think... Serah...?"

"I don't think she would do this... Would she?"

"I'll have to ask her tomorrow."

Hope grabbed the luggage and brought it to the bedroom.

"Here's the room you'll be sleeping in. Call me when you need me."

Before Hope could leave, Lightning grasped his arm.

"Hope, you live alone right? So, where are you going to be sleeping...?"

"Oh, uh I was going to sleep on the couch."

"No you're not."

"What?"

"You sleep in here, besides I've slept for long enough."

Hope's eyes narrowed and it looked as if he was in pain.

"But Light-" he protested.

"Enough... Please, just do what I say, just for today..."

Lightning's expressions softened as she gave a small smile. She walked over to the window and leaned against the wall.

"Light-"

"You should sleep, after all, you are the director. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Alright..."

Hope said he'd sleep, but he couldn't with Lightning watching him. His heart was racing, time was slower than usual. Then, Hope heard Lightning sit in a chair. He took a quick peek at her, noticing that she fell asleep. Hope got up, hoping Lightning wouldn't hear. Then he remembered that Serah told him that Lightning is a heavy sleeper.

He strolled over to Lightning and picked her up in his arms. He then walked over to his bed and carefully placed her on the mattress. As soon as Hope tried to leave, Lightning grasped Hope's shirt and pulled him into the bed. He was in a place he couldn't get out of. Lightning's head rested on Hope's arm and her hand still grasped Hope's shirt. There was no way he could get out of this situation.

It was daybreak and Hope woke up in a worse place. Lightning's arms were wrapped around Hope, and her head rested on his chest. All he could think about was how was he going to explain this to Lightning when she woke up. Hope was red to the face.

Suddenly, Hope saw that Lightning was slowly waking up as she blinked multiple times. Hope pretended to go back to sleep as Lightning's eyes widened. She immediately let go of Hope and got out of bed. Lightning rubbed her eyes, thinking that this was an illusion. She realized that she wasn't dreaming. In moments, her face went from a peachy pink to a scarlet red.

"Hope... Wake up..."

"... Morning, Light..."

They both sat at opposite sides of the bed, avoiding their eyes.

"I-Is there something wrong?" Hope stuttered.

"Sorry..." Lightning replied.

"Why are you apologizing...?"

"I must have sleep walked over to your bed in the middle of the night."

Serah barged in breaking the awkward atmosphere. Lightning and Hope both flinched at the sight of Serah, wondering how impeccable her timing was. Lightning raised her eyebrow. Hope stood up and walked over to serah.

"Uh, Serah…? How did you know how to get in my house?"

"Oh! I just know. Don't worry about it!"

Serah walked over to Lightning and leaned over to her ear.

"Hey sis, I know you and Hope have something going on, but isn't this a little too fast?"

"What...? It's not like that!" Lightning whispered.

Serah giggled as she marched around the room.

"You know, a lot of things changed in those eight years you were gone, Lightning. Maybe Hope can take you shopping." She smiled, "I bet that will help with the awkward atmosphere you guys have together."

As Serah strolled out the door, Hope asked her why Lightning's luggage was in the living room. She leaned to Hope's ear and whispered, "It's a little boost with your relationship with Lightning, you'll be glad I helped! See you later!"

The tense atmosphere returned, now worse than ever. The fact that they woke up in the same bed overwhelmed them, but the things that Serah said, made them even more uneasy.

"Hey Light, there's a play that's only showing this week, do you want to go see it?"

"Sure." Lightning smiled.

They headed to the beach where the play was being held, where they spotted a man pacing back and forth.

They approached the worried man to ask him what was wrong. The man's eyes widen as he yelled, "PERFECT! YOU! Excuse me miss, but you are what I need!"

"Excuse me?"

"It seems you've misunderstood me, but your image exactly describes the main character of this play. The problem is that the actress bailed last-minute! The main character has rose-colored hair with charming eyes and you, my dear, fit that description! Would you mind offering your help for the success of this play?"

"I'm sorry, but-"

"She would love to," Hope interrupted. "Wouldn't you Light? It's a once in a lifetime chance and without the main character, there won't be a play."

"Hope, I can't act…" Lightning said.

"It's not a question of can or can't, there are some things you just do." Hope replied.

"Are you using my words against me?" She glared.

"Don't worry my dear! This character only has one line, but she's a vital part in the play!" The man encouraged.

Lightning sighed, "Only this one time…."

"Splendid! Why don't we get your costume ready!"

"Light! I'll be in the front row, I can't wait to see your performance!" Hope smiled.

People gathered around at the beach to see the play and the cast was in preparation to start. "Excuse me, miss? You're on standby."

"Right..."

Hope waited in the first row, excitedly waiting for Lightning. It was time for Lightning to make an appearance, but Hope was caught off guard. He saw something he never thought he'd see, Lightning in a dress. The dress suited Lightning. A lilac-colored dress with ruffles up to her thighs, it was a sleeveless dress that complimented her eyes.

It was Lightning's scene up next and she barely learned her lines. "The kingdom was almost taken over, until the brave princess stepped up." the narrator said.

"O-One shouldn't defy me, the, uh, mighty... p-princess!" Lightning blushed.

"Pfft, what was that?!" Hope mouthed to Lightning.

Hope let a little laugh as he continued watching the play. The play ended and Hope met up with Lightning backstage.

"Good work, your royal highness." Hope said.

"You owe me..." Lightning glared.

"Yes, my mighty princess." He chuckled.

Lightning crossed her arms and turned away, hiding her blushing face.

"The show was spectacular and luckily, the actress came back to perform! Thank you for the help!" the man said.

"You're welcome." Lightning said.

They headed home , exhausted, especially Lightning. There was a note left on the door that said, "I took Lightning's luggage because it seemed like her clothes needed some cleaning. Sincerely, Serah..." Just what they needed, more problems. It was close to midnight and all the shops were closed. Lightning needed a change of clothes after going to the beach with sand everywhere. Hope sighed.

"You can borrow one of my shirts."

Hope went into his room and grabbed a shirt from his closet. He handed the shirt to Lightning as she was on the phone trying to call Serah.

"She won't pick up..." Lightning sighed.

"Figures..." He replied.

"I'll get into the shower first."

"Alright."

Lightning left the room and Hope couldn't control his expressions anymore. His face was more red than ever. At that moment, they both realized something. There was only one bedroom.

* * *

(Sorry that the story is progressing so slow . But in the next chapter, there will be hurt/comfort... NOW FOR SOME BLOOPERS!)

* * *

**Bloopers**

Serah marched around the room.

"HOPE X LIGHTNING OTP !" SHE SCREAMED.

"NOW KISS!" she said, SHOVING THEIR FACES TOGETHER.

She held onto them tightly, squeezing them together and never letting go.  
"_Its canon,_" she whispered in their ears.

The tense atmosphere returned, now worse than ever. The fact that they woke up in the same bed overwhelmed them, but the things that Serah said, made them even more uneasy.

"So.. should we kiss?" Hope suggested.

"I like that idea!" Lightning said, giddy with excitement. She jumped on Hope and they started making out.

* * *

"i want CHICKEN!" LIGHTNING GROWLED.  
"I HAVENT EATEN IN YEARSSSSSS HOPE, YEARS!"

* * *

They approached the worried man to ask him what was wrong.

Talk to the man on the beach, he's looking for something lost  
ACCEPT QUEST?


	3. Chapter 3

At that moment, they both realized something. There was only one bedroom.

Lightning rushed to the shower and in seconds, she slammed the door. Her face turned bright red as she dropped to the floor.

"What am I, ten?! I shouldn't be embarrassed by things like this!" She spoke to herself.

Hope's face became hotter by the minute. To get his mind off Lightning, he started reciting the elements while pacing around the room.

"Hydrogen, helium, lithium, uh...um beryllium." It wasn't working. Out of nowhere, Hope fell to the floor doing push ups while naming the elements.

Lightning could hear him from the bathroom. She sighed and ignored his element calling.

"Aaand... meitnerium." Hope lied on his back, heavily breathing. He took off his shirt to soak up the sweat on his body.

"Congrats, you named over a hundred elements." Lightning said as she leaned against the wall. "I'm assuming you'll be needing the shower next."

Hope avoided her eyes as he realized that she wore his shirt. Lightning threw a towel to Hope and walked past him.

"It seems like you finally toughened up." she smiled.

"Y-yeah." Hope quickly walked to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

While Hope was in the shower, Lightning wandered around his room. There was a desk filled with his research and she saw many familiar items, but something that really stood out was the knife Lightning received from Serah on her birthday.

_Now, why would he have this?_ Lightning wondered.

"Looking for something?" Hope asked. Lightning flinched. "Oh sorry. I didn't think you'd get scared."

"Watch it, Hope."

Hope chuckled.

"So, how was it like becoming the director? It's a big responsibility."

"It's tiring, but it makes me a step closer to my goals, to free Fang and Vanille from crystal stasis. After all, wouldn't it be great to see them again?"

Lightning smiled, "Yeah... Serah told me that in the past eight years you were working on something."

"She told you?!"

"Nope, you just did."

Hope was astonished. He let out a little laugh and said, "You got me, what is it that you would like to know?"

"First off, what were you working on that made you so absorbed into it?"

Hope's smile disappeared, his face became serious. The tension was rising in the room.

"I was trying to find a way to free you from the capsule."

"Hope..."

"I thought that if I could find enough information, I could open the capsule, but it was just too unpredictable. So, I kept searching and searching for information for eight years, but it seems like I couldn't find the answer. What's the pattern of the capsule? Why wouldn't it open? Why eight years?"

"Hope, you didn't have to do all of this. You just had to focus on your li-"

"Light, I just couldn't move on, no matter how many times Serah and Snow told me! Serah was devastated! Knowing that her sister couldn't be with her! Knowing that it was my fault...that..."

"It's not your fault! It was just an accident, you didn't mean it!"

"That's what they all say! They kept saying that it wasn't my fault! That it was an accident! But, I just couldn't believe them! And you said it yourself, you were lonely and you couldn't do anything about it!"

"Hope, why won't you believe me?" Lightning's voice softened. "What happened was unpredictable, you didn't know it was going to happen."

"Light, you were sleeping for eight years. How could I just move on knowing that you weren't involved in our lives anymore, knowing that you felt lonely in an endless cycle of your own memories. You could have been making more memories instead of rewatching the past!"

Lightning was speechless. She didn't know what more to say. Hope's regret turned into anger. He walked towards his desk and threw everything off. Lightning noticed something dripping down his hand.

"Hope, you're bleeding...!" she rushed towards Hope with a towel. She tried to stop the bleeding, but Hope yanked his arm away.

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Hope. We need to-"

"I said,_ I'm fine!_ This is nothing compared to what you had to deal with."

Lightning's eyes narrowed. "Hope, please. Listen to me. I don't blame you for anything that happened, so don't blame yourself for all of this..."

Lightning hugged Hope as they both fell to the ground. Tears ran down Hope's eyes, soaking Lightning's shoulder.

"I'm... Sorry..." he cried.

Soon after, a tear fell down Lightning's face._ I'm sorry, Hope. You had to carry this heavy burden on your shoulders and I couldn't help._

"Light...?" Hope noticed that Lightning wasn't saying a word. He took a peek at her and saw that she had fell asleep. Hope stood up with Lightning in his arms and carried her to the bed. He leaned towards Lightning's face and said, "Sweet dreams, Light."after he kissed her forehead.

_The Next Day_

Lightning woke up wondering why she was in the bed again. She fell asleep while hugging Hope, but she doesn't remember being carried into the bed at all.

"Hope...?" then she realized that his vacation was over and Hope had to go back to work. Lightning walked towards the desk that was reorganized and noticed a note.

_Light, you probably already figured out that I'm at work, but feel free to explore. - Hope. _

_Right..._ Lightning thought to herself. Suddenly, the door bell rang. It was Serah. Serah came in and looked at Lightning's appearance. _Messy hair with Hope's shirt._

"Sis! You and Hope are doing some dirty stuff, right? Am I right?" she giggled.

"Serah, it's not li-"

"Oh my gosh, Light! You two would have the cutest-"

"Serah!"

"Oops, I might have gone too far."

"How's Snow?"

"Light, I didn't think you actually care-"

"Not that Snow, I meant your cat. The only family you have?"

Serah blushed, "Light! I only said that because I was mad at you guys, besides that was a long time ago!"

"Seems like yesterday to me."

Serah pouted, "Don't change the subject on me!"

Serah's smile slowly went away. She hugged Lightning, making sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Light, I've missed you."

"Stay strong, Serah."

Serah let out a small laugh, "Typical."

Serah was almost to the point of crying, but she held back her tears and let go of Lightning.

"Believe it or not, but Hope was even more devastated than me. He felt guilt and sadness." Serah said, "I'd try to cheer him up, but he'd indulge himself in his studies."

"Was he really spending all this time on a way to bring me back?"

"He was really determined, Light. He grew up too fast, so let him be childish once in a while, ok."

Lightning looked very confused. " Why are you telling me this?"

Serah smiled as she walked towards the door.

"I've said it before, and I'm not saying it again. See you later, sis!"

_What does she mean?_ Lightning wondered. _It's no use thinking about it._ Lightning sighed and kept wandering around the house. She lied down on the couch, gathering her thoughts together. Without realizing it, she started thinking about Hope, wondering what he was doing and when was he going to go home. Lightning shut her eyes, hoping that a nap would erase her thoughts.

"...Light…...Light…. Wake up."

Lightning slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times. Without thinking she sat up, smacking lips with Hope. Both of their eyes widened. Lightning pushed away Hope and ran into the bedroom. She fell against the door with a face burning with embarrassment. Hope lied on the floor, his face turning scarlet red. They both thought to themselves, _What just happened? _

(a/n: thanks for reading! Sorry that Serah doesn't seem like herself, but please review! ^^)

* * *

**Bloopers**

Out of nowhere, Hope fell to the floor doing push ups while naming the elements.

Lightning could hear him from the bathroom.

"NERD!" she yelled loudly. Hope started crying.


	4. Chapter 4

_What just happened? _They both thought to themselves as they dropped to the floor. Hope and Lightning were both astonished by the fact that something like that just happened.

_How am I going to face Hope like this? Pathetic._ Lightning thought to herself. She sighed and stood up, hesitating to open the door. With her last bit of gathered courage, she opened the door, only to be surprised by Hope standing in front of her with a cake. Across the cake it read, _Happy 24th Birthday!_

"Hope… What is-"

"Happy Birthday, Light."

Out of nowhere, Snow and Serah popped out with Sky.

"Happy Birthday, sis!" Snow yelled.

"I'm not your sister." Lightning glared.

"Happy Birthday, aunty Claire." Sky said as he handed a present to her.

Hope grinned and chuckled a bit, "Aunty Claire, we have to cut the cake."

Lightning's eyes widened. Her mouth opened to say something, but she immediately snapped it shut. Lightning narrowed her eyes as Hope flinched by the look on her face.

"Uh, thanks Sky." Lightning didn't know how to act around Sky, it was a new experience to her. Dealing with children was not her forte.

"So, how old are you, Sky?" Lightning asked as she leaned over to the little boy.

Sky wasn't answering and Lightning felt even more awkward than before.

"Right..."

She looked over to Serah. Serah put up 5 fingers as she giggled. Lightning stood straight and walked towards Hope.

"So, are we going to cut the cake or not?" she whispered into his ear.

"Y-yeah, just hold on for a sec."

Hope set the cake on the table and carefully handed a knife to Lightning. She grabbed the knife and stabbed the cake directly in the middle. Both Snow and Hope flinched. She pulled the knife out of the cake and stared at Serah and Snow.

"Anyone care to tell me how long have you guys been here? My memory is still a bit hazy, but I remember seeing a shadow behind Hope when I woke up."

"S-sis, you couldn't possibly believe-" Snow stuttered.

"Did you or did you not push Hope into me?" She scowled as she stabbed the cake once again.

"Sis, we were just giving you a little push-"

"You're in this too, Snow? Really, maybe another punch in the face-"

"Wait! Lightning, I'm the one who pushed Hope!" Serah interrupted, protecting Snow.

Lightning paused. She took a deep breath and paced around the room. She noticed Hope and Sky weren't in the room because of the ruckus she made.

She sighed, "Hope, you can come back in now."

"Geez, sis. Lighten up a bit, would ya?" Snow laughed.

"Light, they were just having a little fun. Don't be too harsh with them." Hope said.

"Shouldn't you be angry too?" She raised her eyebrow.

All Hope could do was laugh a little. Lightning turned around, face to face with the birthday cake. Serah and Snow dropped the cake and ran with Sky in their arms yelling, " HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIS! ENJOY YOUR CAKE!"

Hope gave a towel to Lightning and then started cleaning off the cake on the floor.

"I know I said that they were having fun, but this is a little too far."

Lightning clenched her hands and she started shaking. _Oh no, she's really mad this time…_ Hope thought, but he was completely caught off guard when Lightning started laughing. Hope stared blankly at Lightning as her laughter slowly died down.

"Sorry, I haven't laughed like this in forever," she smiled.

"You know, you could have laughed in front of Serah and Snow."

"Snow would think I went soft. I'm not planning on showing him my weakness."

"Typical Lightning," he patted her shoulder, "but I guess I know your weakness now... Claire."

"Watch it, Hope." She threatened.

Hope gave a little chuckle and walked away. Before he could leave the room, Lightning called out to him, "Wait, have you been training for the past 8 years?"

"Yeah, just a little."

"Mind if you'd train with me? I'm curious how much stronger you've gotten."

"Great timing. We just built a new training facility and it still needs to be tested out."

"We…?"

"Oh right, I haven't introduced you to her yet…"

"Her….?"

"I'll explain everything later."

Hope grabbed one of his coats from the closet and placed it around Lightning, "I need you to follow my lead when we get to the training facility."

"Why…?"

"Just trust me, please?"

"Right…"

Lightning's thoughts wandered as they headed to the training facility. _Who was the girl he mentioned? Why am I curious anyways? _She became lost in her thoughts not realizing that she was about to pass the facility. Hope grabbed her hand and pulled Lightning towards him.

"Thinking about something?"

"Wha-"

"Director!"

Some girl linked her arms with Hope and said cheerfully, "I finished with work! Now we can go on a date!"

Lightning's eye twitched as she began to walk away. It was clear that she was being ignored. Hope without hesitation, immediately unhooked his arm from the girl and dashed after Lightning.

"Wait, Light!"

Lightning turned around and crossed her arms, "I think it's clear that you're busy, I'm leaving."

"I'm sorry, I'll explain everything later."

Hope placed his arm around Lightning's shoulder and walked towards the perky girl. Lightning tried to release herself from Hope's grip, but he'd just pull her in closer.

"Light, this is Alyssa Zaidelle, my assistant."

"Director! You had a girlfriend?!"

"Well-"

"She's very pretty, but that won't stop me!"

"Hope, is this what you mean by follow-"

"We should be heading to the training facility now." Hope interrupted.

"Director! You still haven't introduced her to me!"

"Right, this is Lightning Farron."

"Oh! Serah's sister! Nice to meet you! I'll be your escort then! Let's go!"

Lightning sighed. _Now I know why he asked me to follow his lead..._

"Sorry, Light. But can you test out the training facility with Alyssa? I'll be in another room analyzing the things we need to fix."

"Alright."

Alyssa and Lightning were in the training room back to back while Hope was behind protected glass in the other room, observing the training field. The room was big enough to fit an adamantoise.

"Hey, Lightning. You do realize how close me and the director are, right?"

"Ready for battle?" Hope said through the speaker. He didn't hear anything at all.

They both nodded getting ready in position.

"I won't let my guard down just yet." Lightning snarled.

"Don't underestimate me. I'm stronger than I look."

"Start!" Hope called.

The field shifted and the ground was unsteady. Pieces of the ground broke off and started floating in the air.

"Hope! Is this normal?" Lightning shouted.

"Don't worry, Light. Use these floating objects to your advantage."

In a flash, Alyssa swung a dagger towards Lightning. Lightning blocked the swing with her gun blade and knocked the dagger out of Alyssa's hand. Alyssa was pushed back.

"It looks like you're the one who underestimated me." Lightning scoffed.

"Tch."

Alyssa pulled out two more daggers and threw one of them at Lightning. With ease, Lightning dodged the dagger and shot her gun blade at the other weapon in Alyssa's hand.

"You missed." Lightning said.

"It wasn't you who I was aiming for." Alyssa smirked.

Lightning turned around to see that the panel that controls the locks on the door was damaged. They were stuck inside until it is repaired.

"Keep calm, we'll send someone to fix the locks." Hope said.

A little chuckle was released from Alyssa, then the chuckle became louder and louder. Alyssa was laughing.

"What's so funny...?" Lightning asked.

"Oh nothing. Why don't we continue this battle until they fix the locks?"

Alyssa pulled out six daggers, three in each hand. Lightning jumped onto a floating object, planning to avoid the daggers, but Alyssa threw all six daggers in different directions. Only one was aimed at Lightning. Lightning looked around and saw that three of the daggers pierced the main wire that controlled the field.

"What do you think you're doing...?" Lightning glared.

"At last, we are alone, so I can finally get rid of you."

"What...?"

"You are the problem. You're preventing me from getting close to the director."

"This must be one of your sick games for love. And I'm not planning on playing."

"No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. I don't want to be with the director, I want to get rid of him. And once you're gone, I have many more chances to. The director can't hear us right now, but he can surely see me annihilate you."

"I promised to protect Hope and I plan to keep that promise."

"How sweet, but in five seconds, the floating objects will stop floating."

Lightning lost her balance, but she managed to jump from object to object and make it down safely. A single clap resonated in the room.

"Impressive. Now, let's continue on with the show."

* * *

(a/n: thanks for reading! Please review! Sorry that there aren't as much bloopers this time, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter!)

* * *

**Bloopers**

Hope came back in the room and stuffed his face with the cake. "Delicious," he said seductively to Lightning, licking his frosting-covered lips.


	5. Chapter 5

(a/n: I'm so sorry for the long wait! I promise that I did improve at writing, not really at grammar, but I hope you guys enjoy reading, and please leave a review! ^^)

* * *

"Impressive, now let's continue on with the show," Alyssa taunted.

Lightning scowled. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. She was anticipating this battle. She gripped her gunblade tightly, preparing to make a move.

Alyssa grinned. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

Lightning and Alyssa dashed toward each other at unbelievable speeds. Their weapons clashed, causing sparks to scatter all around them. Alyssa kept the grin on her face, her eagerness to fight bringing her joy. The only thing Lightning was focused on was exterminating the pest.

Alyssa pulled out another blade and aimed at the opening at Lightning's ribcage. Lightning repositioned her gunblade to obstruct the attack. They both bounced back without losing their balance, not a scratch on either side.

"Please stop this fighting, our main focus is to get the two of you out of there!" Hope said through the speakerphone.

Alyssa grabbed her dagger and chucked it at the speaker.

"Now that the nuisance can't bother us anymore, why don't we continue this battle?"

* * *

"Director, they can no longer hear you anymore. The speakers are damaged," one of the workers said.

"What are they thinking…?" Hope questioned. " Something's wrong… We need to fix the control panel ASAP. Tell the engineers to work as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Hope scurried to the entrance of the training facility. He ran to the point of tripping a few times, almost falling down the stairs, and went down three flights to get to the entrance. He reached the corridor and started banging his fist against the door, calling out for Lightning. Her attention was completely focused on Alyssa.

"Light! Can you hear me? What's going on?"

"How cute. I guess the director is worried about you."

"You just don't know when to stop talking," Lightning provoked.

Alyssa clicked her tongue. "Well that wasn't very nice. It doesn't matter though, this battle has lasted long enough. Why don't I just end this now?"

Alyssa threw multiple daggers at Lightning. While she focused on maneuvering around them, Alyssa, with stunning speed, was only a couple feet away and prepared to strike. Lightning couldn't block this attack, it was too late.

Before Alyssa knew it, Hope appeared in front of her. He broke down the door and blocked her blade with his boomerang, but he had forgotten that Alyssa had more under her sleeve. She pulled out another blade and stabbed Hope's shoulder.

Alyssa sighed. "What a shame, I was planning on using this _special_ dagger on Lightning. Oh well, my main target was you anyways."

"If this is one of your stupid-" Lightning glared at Alyssa.

"You'll see. In the meantime, this whole facility will collapse to the basement. I wonder how you plan on surviving?" Alyssa chuckled.

"What about you, how do you plan on escaping...?" Lightning asked.

"_No no no_, you've got it all wrong. If I'm not going to survive, I'm dragging you all with me."

Hope stumbled against a wall. He was short of breath and was looking pale. Lightning rushed over to him.

"What did you do?!" Lightning yelled at Alyssa.

"Looks like the side effects are taking place." Alyssa laughed. "Even if you do make it out unharmed, I don't think your sweetheart will still be alive."

Hope was getting weaker by the minute. His skin was pale and he was in excruciating pain. The ground shook tremendously.

Lightning supported Hope, as he was almost to the point of passing out. She looked over to Alyssa and caught a glimpse of her..._crying_. Noticing the floor begin to sink, Lightning glanced at Hope to reassure herself that he was still alive. Suddenly, the ground caved in, and all three of them fell through.

At the last minute, Lightning took the falling damage for Hope who was already in pain. Lightning blacked out for a few minutes, but a stinging throb shocked her awake. Her whole body ached with discomfort.

"Ah..!" Lightning felt a twinge in the side of her waist. A narrow glass shard punctured her waist. Blood was dripping down her face and she had cuts and bruises everywhere.

She scanned the area, searching for Hope, and found him lying ten feet away from her. She urgently limped, even with a sprained ankle, towards Hope to make sure he was alright.

"Hope, tell me if you are alright! Hope...!"

"I'm...okay...just a couple...cuts and bruises..."

Lightning gave a sigh of relief. "Let's get out of here."

She noticed that his shoulder was still bleeding from the stab wound. She quickly ripped off a piece of cloth from her clothes and wrapped it around Hope's shoulder. Lightning then placed Hope's other arm around her neck, supporting him. It was a challenge, but Lightning stood up with Hope and started searching for an exit.

"Hope, I need you to stay awake with me, okay?"

"I'll...try..."

Lightning didn't know what to do in this situation, she could only speak to keep Hope awake.

"How are you feeling...?" Lightning asked.

"Just a little tired." he replied.

"Don't fall asleep just yet..."

"Sorry, I bet you're even more exhausted."

"I'm fine."

Hope frowned. "You have a glass shard stabbed through your waist and a sprained ankle. How is that fine?"

"Compared to the poison, this is nothing."

"How do you know?"

"Poison training for the guardian corps. You have to experience the pain from the poison first."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. I'm alright. I've been injured many times before when I was training."

Hope was beyond pale. The pace in Lightning's footsteps became faster. Her body was about to give up on her until she found a speck of light peeking out of the rubble. She limped her way to the light with the last bit of strength she had left.

"Hope, are you still with me...?"

"..."

"Hope..!"

"...Y-yeah... Sorry, I... almost fell asleep..."

The light source became noticeable. The rubble crumbled, making the light shine clearly.

"Director! Miss Farron! Can you hear me?!"

"We're in here! We need medical attention now!" Lightning yelled.

"Yes ma'am," the man said. "We need a medic right away!"

"Hope, you're going to be alright. Don't...worry..." Lightning's vision went astray, her sight was clouded with darkness. Exhaustion caught up with her. The noise around her was blocked out, and she collapsed from the fatigue.

"Miss Farron?!"

* * *

"Hey, Lightning….."

Lightning heard a faint sound. A bright light shone through the window. Her eyes fluttered, trying to adjust to the sunlight.

"Rise and shine, sis!"

Lightning groaned. She knew who the annoyingly familiar voice belonged to, and she wished she didn't. Her body was sore and she found herself lying on a bed in the hospital. Lightning made an effort to sit up, but it was useless, the pain she felt wasn't something she could just walk out of.

"Lightning, don't even try. You need to rest," Serah scolded.

"Then what's the point of waking me up….?" Lightning murmured.

"Well sis, you haven't eaten for a week. You've been asleep the entire time since you passed out," Snow said.

"Where's Hope….?" Lightning asked.

"Snow, can you bring Hope in here?" Serah smiled.

"Sure, I'll be right back. Get some rest, sis."

Snow left the room, taking his time. Lightning clicked her tongue.

"I bet you're worried about Hope." Serah giggled.

Lightning didn't say anything.

"He was discharged from the hospital days ago, but I think you pushed yourself a little too far. Lightning, I know you are capable of protecting those around you, it's just that… you should take care of yourself too. You were lucky enough to survive with a glass shard punctured through your waist, but you never know what could have happened."

"Serah, you shouldn't be scolding-"

"I'm not scolding!" Serah took a deep breath. "I just don't want to lose you too…" Serah was at the verge of crying.

"I'm sorry, Serah."

There was a knock at the door.

"And your hero is here!"

"Sorry to intrude."

Hope and Snow were at the doorway. Serah wiped the tears that were about to fall, and gave a big smile.

"Let's go, Snow. We have to pick up Sky from school. See ya later!" Serah said.

"See you two later!"

Snow and Serah left the room and the awkward silence between Hope and Lightning arose again. Lightning stared at the ceiling, as she couldn't sit up.

"I'm sorry," they both simultaneously said. "What?"

Lightning and Hope chuckled.

"The good news is that you'll be able to walk around and sit up again by tomorrow," he said.

"That's good."

Lightning was still staring at the ceiling, but she noticed the frown on Hope's face.

"Hope, is there something you need to tell me…?"

"What? Oh, it's nothing."

"Right…"

"How are you feeling?"

"Most of my wounds probably healed, so I'm alright. What about you…?"

"I recovered quite fast, but I want to tell you that I'm sorry."

"For what?

"You dragged me along with you, even when I was weak. Same reasons go for when I was fourteen."

"Hope, rather than apologizing, you should be thanking me. I won't accept your apologies."

Hope widened his eyes, stunned. He chuckled a bit and then looked at Lightning.

"Thank you, Light."

Lightning smiled. "I have to tell you something, but I don't have the strength for it today."

"I do too. I need to tell you something, but I'll wait until tomorrow. I have work to do, I'll see you later."

The sound of his footsteps resonated through the hallway as he made his exit. Lightning sighed. _Tomorrow, huh…?_

* * *

**Bloopers **

Hope scurried to the entrance of the training facility. He ran as fast as he could, and tripped down the stairs in the process. _Oh my god,_ he thought, as his sad little man body tumbled like a bowling ball down the flight of stairs. _I'm going to die._ He realized he was right, and spoke his last words, faint enough just so that Snow in the background could hear:

"Help… I've fallen and I can't get up."

Snow rushed to his side. "Every senior citizen needs life alert…" He shook Hope.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU KNOW THAT?!" He started crying. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED! WATCH T.V. MORE OFTEN, HOPE! YOU DUMMY!"

In Heaven, Hope got a headache. "I'm not a senior citizen," he said, getting emo. "It's just my hair. GOSH, SNOW. This is why I never liked you!"

Hope ran down a flight of three stories of stairs to get to the entrance. He reached the corridor only to trip and fall on his face… "I couldn't make it…." Hope faintly said. The passageway was only 5 feet away, he lost all his strength… his beautiful face was the origin of his energy.


End file.
